"Landslide," written by Stevie Nicks in Aspen, Colorado, after an argument
with former lover and fellow band member, Lindsey Buckingham, is a
reflection of her bittersweet relations with him at that time, as well as a
reflection of the changes she was experiencing in her life.

As the story goes, Stevie and Lindsey were in Colorado and had a
disagreement in which Lindsey left her in Aspen and drove the old "beat-up"
car down the "snow-covered hill." Stevie never thought she would be
stranded - she didn't care if Lindsey left her there. She had a lifetime
bus pass on Greyhound since her father worked for the company and knew she
could get out of Aspen on her own. However, Greyhound went on strike and
Stevie was stranded and all alone, realizing she had no one to rely on but
herself.

The song is touching, displaying how Stevie's simple poetry, while
accompanied by the familiar, comfortable acoustics from Buckingham's
guitar, can exhibit an overwhelming feeling of emotion that comes from
within the heart.

"I took my love, I took it down, climbed a mountain and I turned around."
We are the most peaceful when we are with nature and this peacefulness
inspired Stevie to put her feelings into poetry. Here she reflects on the
realization she's reached about the relationships in her life, especially
the one with Lindsey, which was at times difficult. Neither of them were
prepared for the changes that surrounded them. They would find out through
the years how these changes, which would at times become obstacles, helped
to shape their lives. The mountain that she sees in front of her is
symbolic of the enormity of these obstacles. However, once she "climbs"
this mountain, her visions become clearer and she realizes she is able to
conquer these obstacles, thus beginning to come to terms with the
relationships with those around her.

"I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills, 'till the landslide brought
me down." As Lindsey drove down the mountain, and away from the conflict,
she takes a deep look at herself. She sees the woman she was before and
does not completely recognize that person now. It is ironic that she got
stranded in the middle of winter, with snow all around her. The snow
represents purity and innocence, which will always be a part of her inner
self, and was something she brought to her relationship with Lindsey.
However, she is changing and growing and is not the same woman she once
was. This change may not have been easily seen or accepted by Lindsey.
The landslide brings her back to reality, it's an unraveling. Once
Lindsey accepts her love and looks to her (in the "snow covered hills") for
comfort and companionship, then the landslide will bring him down too.

"Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love." The mirror is the sun. She is
standing outside with snow glistening all around her and she can see her
reflection in the snow. "Can the child within my heart rise above?" Can she
remain true to the the innocence inside her, while continuing to give her
love to Lindsey? She realizes that they are both changing and she cannot
control that. She is looking for answers. "Can I sail through the changing
ocean tides, can I handle the seasons of my life?" She doesn't know. She
is asking if she can handle change while remaining true to herself. It is
something that obviously stays with her for a long time, continually
challenging her choices in life.

Stevie emphasizes her fear of changing in many of her songs, leading us to
conclude that through all her fears and searches for answers, she finds she
has only herself to rely on. (Stevie again refers to a similar point in
the song "Sara" on Tusk, "poet in my heart, never change, never stop.")
See also lyric interpretation for "Sisters of the Moon."

"Well, I've been afraid of changing, 'cause I've built my life around you."
When you give up a part of yourself for someone else, you let go of
something personal. When things start to change all around you, you can
become fearful of what you have lost. Not only is Stevie's relationship
with Lindsey changing, but so is her relationship with those around her -
her friends and her family. She is growing up. Her security is gone. She
wants to be accepted and loved, but because she is changing, she is worried
that possibly she or they won't like the person she is becoming.

"But time makes you bolder, even children get older, And I'm getting older
too." She realizes this and also knows that as she does grow up, she will
be stronger. She is growing away from the innocent child she once was and
developing her independence.

"Oh, take my love, take it down, climb a mountain and turn around, if you
see my reflection in the snow covered hills, well the landslide will bring
it down, if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills, well the
landslide will bring it down." Stevie changes the "I" to "you" in this last
stanza. Now that she has seen her own reflection, she is asking that
Lindsey see it too. She hopes he will look behind him as he travels down
the "snow covered hill" and embrace the love she has for him. Then the
landslide will bring him down.